Rotten Tomatoes Logo Do you want to see ‘Skin’?

Skin (2008)

tomatometer

85

Average Rating: 6.7/10
Reviews Counted: 61
Fresh: 52 | Rotten: 9

Sophie Okonedo, Sam Neill, and Alice Krige do wonderful work in Skin, delivering performances whose strength is underlined by the incredible real-life events upon which the movie is based.

83

Average Rating: 6.9/10
Critic Reviews: 18
Fresh: 15 | Rotten: 3

Sophie Okonedo, Sam Neill, and Alice Krige do wonderful work in Skin, delivering performances whose strength is underlined by the incredible real-life events upon which the movie is based.

audience

77

liked it
Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 1,610

My Rating

Movie Info

A dark-skinned girl born to white South African parents attempts to explore her identity in the era of apartheid as her government, her parents, and society as a whole struggle with what it means to be a black child of Caucasian descent in a nation deeply divided by race. The year is 1955. Sandra Laing (Sophie Okonedo) has just been born to a pair of white Afrikaner parents, her brown skin and curly hair the surprising result of genetic throwback. As the government's rigid apartheid system

Feb 1, 2011

Elysian Films

Cast

All Critics (63) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (9) | DVD (1)

Laing's life, despite its inherent melodrama, does not automatically lend itself to the screen. And without the aid of a smart script or a prevailing sense of delicacy, a movie about her or apartheid risks being a blunt instrument.

January 14, 2010 Full Review Source: Boston Globe | Comment (1)
Boston Globe
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Provocative.

December 15, 2009 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Potent, still relevant and inspiring while maddening, Skin shows some of our best and much of our worst.

December 11, 2009 Full Review Source: Detroit News | Comment
Detroit News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Every emotion is underscored with sugary music, every narrative plot progression telegraphed with the mechanical structural stiffness of a made-for-TV movie.

December 10, 2009 Full Review Source: New York Observer | Comment
New York Observer
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It feels hurried, looks cheap, and works overtime to simplify a complex, flawed character into a noble, tragic heroine. The film speaks fluent cliché.

November 12, 2009 Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | Comment
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This great film by Anthony Fabian tells this story through the eyes of a happy girl who grows into an outsider.

November 12, 2009 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Intense family drama about race, identity during apartheid.

February 17, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

A frightening primer on how untreated racism can lead someone to abandon, even hate their own offspring.

February 1, 2011 Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | Comment
NewsBlaze

The most remarkable elements of the true story of Sandra Laing survive intact, despite a rather unremarkable bigscreen retelling of her life.

August 9, 2010 Full Review Source: sbs.com.au | Comment
sbs.com.au

While it's important we never forget the horrendous evils of humanities past, Skin is sadly one social studies class too many.

August 8, 2010 Full Review Source: smh.com.au | Comments (2)
smh.com.au

Something akin to a Sunday afternoon TV movie of the week.

August 4, 2010 Full Review Source: Flicks.co.nz | Comment
Flicks.co.nz

The storytelling maybe undistinguished but the performances power it.

July 22, 2010 Full Review Source: MovieTime, ABC Radio National | Comment
MovieTime, ABC Radio National

Performances are impeccable, and location shooting in South Africa adds to the power of an impressive true story.

July 21, 2010 Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | Comment
At the Movies (Australia)

While conventionally told, this thought-provoking film features deeply moving performances and compels audiences to consider the issues it raises.

July 19, 2010 Full Review Source: FILMINK (Australia) | Comment
FILMINK (Australia)

An extraordinary story, one that only real life could invent... You won't forget this film in a hurry

July 16, 2010 Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | Comment
Urban Cinefile

A haunting film that tells its unforgettable tale about a coloured girl, born to white parents in South Africa, with simplicity and heartfelt sentiment

July 16, 2010 Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | Comment
Urban Cinefile

Based on a true story, Skin follows the life of a black-skinned girl born to white Afrikaners in a society where segregation is stronger than family.

March 25, 2010 Full Review Source: Moving Pictures Magazine | Comment
Moving Pictures Magazine

From an increasingly vibrant cinema about South Africa.

January 13, 2010 Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | Comment
Boston Phoenix

Once the absurdity of the situation has been accepted, the film plays out like a made for television docu drama, with Sandra constantly challenged and overcoming...

January 3, 2010 Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | Comment
Reeling Reviews

Great performances and a smart decision to avoid melodrama make Skin worth seeing but it's the small things that hold it back from being truly great.

November 13, 2009 Full Review Source: Movie Retriever | Comment
Movie Retriever

Given the subject matter, I wish there were more outrage and passion in Skin, which plods from one huge event to another.

November 13, 2009 Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | Comment
St. Paul Pioneer Press
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Skin

Based on a true story. This movie really makes one re-think what they "know", and "believe", about race. This lady's story is truly a sad, and unjust one, and prompted me to research apartheid era racial classification tests, and the life of Sandra Laing. This unusual case really highlights the effects of South

August 29, 2011
itsjustme2004

Super Reviewer

I usually approach docu-dramas cautiously - they can certainly be a mixed bag, where the story usually trumps any attempt at creating art; thankfully Skin, due to the very nature of its story, is so compelling that it transcends the genre. Telling the story of a 1960's South African girl, born to white Afrikaner

August 22, 2011
maxthesax
paul sandberg

Super Reviewer

Skin Quotes

No quotes approved yet for Skin. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Latest News for Skin

October 29, 2009:
Critics Consensus: This Is It Is Certified Fresh
This week at the movies brings only one wide release: the hotly-anticipated performance documentary...

What's Hot On RT

Critics Consensus
Critics Consensus

Journey 2 Not Worth the Trip

Luis Guzman
Luis Guzman

What are his 10 best movies ever?

<em>Amazing Spider-Man</em>
Amazing Spider-Man

See the all-new action-packed trailer!

The Avengers!
The Avengers!

Five new Marvelous pictures

Top Movie Quizzes

LEGO Mania: 2011 Best Picture Nominees
by natalie - 18,550 taken
created 12 months ago
How Much Do You Know About Leonardo DiCaprio?
by natalie - 44,401 taken
created 15 months ago
Pixar Movies!
by jdikwlzviv - 27,134 taken
created 15 months ago
The Wizards of Harry Potter
by jdikwlzviv - 27,635 taken
created 15 months ago
Help | About | Jobs | Newsletter | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Blog | Developers | Mobile